| Description | Letter written from Southbourne, Augustus Road, Edgbaston, dated 28 June and marked 'Private'. Chamberlain thanks Duignan for his generous offer of support but explains that the newspaper reports of his candidature in East Staffordshire are 'unauthorised & premature' and outlines the reasons why he is unlikely to stand in the 'county contest'. He goes on to discuss the Liberal Party, which he believes is in a state of 'demoralised decreptitude' and in need of 'reconstruction [...] a new programme, with possibly new leaders'. He describes a plan he has made with other 'advanced' liberals to pool their subscriptions in order to 'fight each election as it occurs in the interest of advanced Liberal politics' and seeks Duignan's support for the idea. |